Amazing USA/Australia Treaty 1946

[Lang]

Yes that is what the treaty says. The majority of stuff Australia got from USA during the war was paid for on a commercial basis and those Studebakers were in the pipeline referred to in the treaty.

Australia had a vast fleet of trucks and certainly did not need those extra vehicles without a war going on. The reason they just didn't say we will cancel the orders and give you your money back was the USA had to keep their industry going and not have the rug pulled out from under them with a 90% cancellation of all orders overnight. Also why billions of dollars worth of vehicles and equipment were sold, donated, scrapped overseas and not brought back to USA. The treaty even says that Australia can not sell any American goods it possesses to USA buyers for the same reason.

As can be seen from the treaty Australia got relatively small amounts of Lend Lease which was balanced by the goods and services provided to USA by Australia for the million or so personnel who were stationed or passed through here.

The Lend Lease scheme was negotiated (against serious US opposition) when Britain totally ran out of money. Up to that point USA had demanded full payment ie transfer of British gold reserves, to cover all purchases. Even after the British Empire countries had their gold reserves raided to save the motherland the cupboard was bare. It was undoubtedly Churchill's finest hour when he went to USA and schmoozed Roosevelt to support the cause. There is no doubt that Lend Lease, and its extension to Russia particularly, was a war-winning decision.

Lang